"Big E" moves into NNS dry dock for defueling

The first super carrier powered by nuclear reactors, USS Enterprise is also the first to undergo an inactivation, which includes defueling the ship's eight reactors and preparing the hull for its final dismantlement Photo by Dar Deerfield-Mook/HII

The process took another significant step when the carrier was moved Saturday from Pier 2 at the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division to her original birthplace, the shipyard's Dry Dock 11. Newport News employees will continue the defueling process in the dry dock under the current inactivation contract.

Six tugboats guided the ship about one mile to its new location. More than 200 shipbuilders assisted with the ship's relocation, a two-and-a-half-hour effort. Work will continue in the dry dock until the fall of 2016.

"Our shipbuilders and Navy partners continue to work closely as we accomplish this truly unique contract," said Chris Miner, Newport News' vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs. "Our shipbuilders' slogan for the inactivation of the USS Enterprise is 'Honor a Legend.' The pride the shipbuilder and Navy team have in being part of this legendary ship's history is demonstrated every day as they safely complete each step of this challenging work."

USS Enterprise is the first to nuclear powered carrier to undergo an inactivation, which includes defueling the ship's eight reactors and preparing the hull for its final dismantlement.

USS Enterprise was built at Newport News and joined the Navy's fleet in 1961. The ship aided in the Cuban Missile Crisis and operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn, as well as naval maritime security operations.